PGF Congratulates Rick Barker

Problem Gambling
Foundation Chief Executive John Stansfield today
congratulated Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker for
highlighting the problem of Racing receiving an increasing
share of Pokie grants. Minister Barker addressed the pokie
industry calling for more transparency and more observation
of the sprit of the law. The Racing industry, itself a
gambling business, has been prospering at the expense of
people playing machines in our lower socio economic areas
and it has crept up on New Zealanders.

The Department
of Internal Affairs latest figures show pokie money going to
racing went up five fold to $10 million between 2000 and
2005.

Now it is very clear just two years later Racing
is getting almost $1.8 Million per month or $22 million per
year in 2007. This has happened when pokie trust have been
telling community service providers and groups, that there
is reducing avilability of funds because of the application
of gambling machine sinking lid policies by Territorial
Local Authorities. It is euphimistic to call this "not being
transparent". It is Trusts either being misleading or
believing their own spin.

The situation is a disgrace.
Racing, like any other industry, should attract its
customers to its events, and if this does not work, then
like the wool growers of New Zealnd who have given this
country a powerful kick-start, adjust. We do not allow any
other industry to cover up its lack of marketability through
pokie SMPs (Supplementary Machine
Payments).

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